Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the locker room, mirroring the tempest inside Maya. She stared at her hands, the calluses a familiar, unwelcome landscape. The coach’s words echoed in her ears: “We need you at libero.” Just like that, years of honing her outside hitter skills were… obsolete. A sigh hitched in her chest, a physical weight she couldn't seem to shake. The team was already on the court, their cheerful shouts a painful contrast to her inertia. She dragged herself up and started the slow process of changing, each movement leaden.